There are various examples where employees try to seek out assistance in order to alleviate very stressful situations with innapropriate management. Sometimes it is discrimation, other times is bulling, other times is just an issue with personality conflict or simply management acting innapropriately at work. If the agency continues to "brush" off these complaints by dismissing them quickly at the EEO levels, they are...
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Voting

One of the problems that has occurred when people are in travel status or in training is that they often find themselves vermin victims. In order to prevent bed bug bites a good thing to do would be to check the bed bug registry which has reports of hotels which have bed bug infestations as well as similar sites. We had a lady who was attacked by ants in a Dallas hotel while in a training class. Such efforts would reduce...
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Voting

It is rare that incompetent or abusive management are removed. Typically they are only changed or removed after they do something where the agency has to step in to clean up. If employees had the opportunity to report these individuals while the negative behavior is occurring, the agency would save itself from having to clean up after them later, and would make for a better work force. As an example, there were senior...
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Voting

Last year, there was an award for the top idea, why not the top 20 or 50? Or why not reward the top 10 people of each agency/military facility? A certificate is sufficient to give the message to employees that their observations and saving measure suggestions are welcomed. At the very least, there ought to be a list of the top 20 ideas per agency/military facility that was integrated. If an idea is applicable to all federal...
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Voting

The Department of the Air Force (as a good example) hires temporary contractors to work alongside FTE's. When the FTE's become proficient in the area of responsibility, the contract ends. This provides greater responsibility and opportunities for the FTE. The need for year to year contracting because of the lack of existing experience eventially gets significanlty reduced or eliminated.

Voting

The government is spending a lot of money in trying to get us employees to exercise and lose weight. Yet the government spends extra funds to keep us from using the stairs by installing electronic escalators. Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year. Six flights a day could help you trim nearly 18 lbs. We could be saving energy, maintenance costs all while keeping a healthier...
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Voting

Have USCIS send all approved I-129 petitions to DOS Kentucky Consular Center for scanning and allow the KCC to forward these documents to the National Records Center for storage.

DOS developed its Petition Information Management Service (PIMS) to provide consular officers overseas electronic copies of documents; by eliminating the global shipping of hard copies of often voluminous files, PIMS spares the costs, time,...
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HST is freezing, even in the middle of summer. For some time, I've been thinking about buying a space heater for the office, which would waste even MORE engergy and tax payer money. Turn down the air conditioning, even a few degrees, and save big.

Voting

Managers are not being punished for their illegal actions. The No Fear Act needs revision. EEOC must have authority to impose discipline.

In September, 2010, EEOC Judge Macauley issued a decision in which he found that HUD retaliated against (Redacted) for a lawsuit based on disability discrimination. The Judge found that HUD had denied a promotion for (Redacted) that had been granted to every...
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Voting

When we receive calls via the toll free number or at an SSA office, we send out a paper letter, reminding them of their appointment time if they made an appointment. In other instances, we send out big paper booklets providing information with close out letters. Why not ask the caller to provide an email address as an alternative, and they can receive the information via email instead? We can save on mailing costs and...
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Voting

Our agency would clearly benefit tremendously if policy components would focus on reviewing existing policy and eliminate unnecessary/outdated policy procedures and instructions. This should be a mandate, reports should be submitted on progress.

Necessary policy could also be consolidated to be clearer and simpler for us to execute in operations. Generally the objective of policy components is to "update" or expand on...
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Voting

There are numerous examples of work overlap. As an example why does the IRS and SSA conduct international negotiations when DOS is in charge of embassies and has the staffing to handle the work? By having one agency handle this type of work (for example) would bring the agencies closer together and would save a tremendous amout of operational work.

Voting

We spend millions in contractors because our current staff is not knowledgeable or does not have the expertise to handle the work. Instead of paying an agency 2-3 times what a typical employee would cost, it would be significantly more efficient to hire people that can do the type of work. Unfortunately staff gets continually promoted that cannot do work at a higher level. Do secretaries in the private sector get promoted...
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Voting

We have a large gym at our agency and for several hours per day, about 40 or more pieces of cardiovascular equipment are being used. If it is cost efficient, the equipment upon replacement ought to be replaced with equipment that provides energy for the buildings that we are in. This is already in use in some private sector offices.

Voting

I have observed that numerous offices continually pay for software that is not used. There are other internal software that is available that also overlaps in function. Assessments ought to be made on all software and equipment. As an example, we have 10 unused PC's in empty cubicles. Each time our component gets new computers, those unused PC's get upgraded and so does the software. Seems like a tremendous waste of resources....
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